Hailed by Stereophile Magazine for “sound[ing] like 21st-century grandchildren of JJ Johnson and Kai Winding” (with his co-bandleader Chris Glassman) and praised by the International Trombone Associations Journal for his “virtuosity [and] melodic and harmonic mastery,” Altin Sencalar is in high demand across the country as a performer, educator, and composer.
Altin began his studies at Texas State University, where he studied with Freddie Mendoza. While attending Texas State University, he gained entrance into the thriving Austin music scene and began emerging as a new talent. Altin moved to Austin, TX, and attended the University of Texas at Austin’s Butler School of Music, where he studied under the tutelage of Andre Hayward. He became a fixture in the Austin music scene after being named a “2017 Top 10 Austin Music Awards Horn Player” and recording his debut album, “Introducing Altin Sencalar.”
After completing his bachelor’s degree from the Butler School of Music, he was allowed to travel solo with the University of Texas Jazz Orchestra to the Montreaux Jazz Festival, the North Sea Jazz Festival, and Luxembourg Gardens in Paris, France. Altin then attended Michigan State University as the Graduate Assistant to Michael Dease and Rodney Whitaker, where he pursued his Master of Music in Jazz Studies. While at Michigan State University, Altin co-founded “The Sencalar/Glassman Quintet,” which has received over $3,000 in funding from the East Lansing Arts Commission and MSU Running Start. This grant allowed the quintet members to tour East Lansing elementary schools and use their knowledge of jazz to educate the young students and provide them with a new potential artistic and creative outlet.
Altin has also gained international and national recognition through numerous competitions and awards. Such honors have come from Yamaha, The American Trombone Workshop Jazz Competition solo divisions, International Trombone Association’s Jazz Solo – Carl Fontana Competition and J.J. Johnson Competition, the Kai Winding Trombone Ensemble Competition, Texas State Trombone Symposium Michael Rath Jazz Solo Competition, Downbeat Student Music Awards, and the International Tuba-Euphonium Association Rich Matteson Jazz Euphonium Competition, among others.
As an active performer, Altin has shared the stage, toured, and recorded with DeeDee Bridgewater, Rodney Whitaker, Christian McBride, David Sanborn, Michael Bublé, Dafnis Prieto, Ulysses Owens Jr., John Lee, The Dizzy All-Star Alumni Big Band, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves, Ne-Yo, Big Sean, and many others. He has also recorded for several motion pictures, including Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, My Little Pony: The Movie (2017 release), and other independent films.
